Richard M Lee/ShutterstockParliament is back in session, and Andy Burnham is set to put his promise of becoming a “cost-of-living government” into practice. Since 2021, economic and geopolitical instability has led UK households to struggle with a fall in real disposable income and inflation, particularly around food and energy prices. Families are under sustained pressure to meet essential costs. This pressure is likely to intensify as the US-Iran conflict and disruption around the Strait of Hormuz continue to affect energy prices and the wider economy.The Centre for Economics and Business Research has estimated that rising inflation and weaker wage growth linked to the conflict will reduce average UK household real incomes by around £1,100 in 2026, with a further £1,300 reduction in 2027. The greatest burden will fall on those already struggling, and those furthest from the decisions being made. The government has introduced measures to try to ease the pressure, including removing VAT from domestic electricity bills.While it is too early to judge Burnham’s government on its record, research gives us an insight into what families have experienced through years of rising costs. If governments want to understand whether their policies are working, they need to actively listen to the people most affected. Families offer a valuable test of whether policy is working in practice, as the combined pressures of supporting children and meeting essential household costs can expose gaps in support.Since 2022, my colleagues and I have been doing this listening through Changing Realities, a collaboration between more than 200 parents and carers living on low incomes across the UK, academic researchers, and the charity Child Poverty Action Group. Through online diaries, participants share their experiences as they happen, giving us an ongoing picture of how rising costs are affecting families. Families’ experiences of the cost of living can help politicians see whether their policies have an effect. Lazy_Bear/Shutterstock Our findings show that those already struggling to get by are making difficult choices every day. They must manage overstretched budgets while trying to protect their children from the worst effects of hardship. One participant wrote:My son will be starting secondary school in September … I was looking forward to finally being able to receive free school dinners for him, but with another rise of gas and electricity bills announced and the constant increase in food costs it’s wiped out any hope of feeling a tiny bit financially better off.A recurring theme in online diaries from 2022 is how financial strain compounded pressures families were already facing. People found it harder to meet essential needs and had little room to cope with unexpected costs. Last winter, participant Gemma shared: “I can’t afford to take the kids anywhere, to warm them back up when we get home or dry their clothes when they’ve been out. Today, my son’s nursery offered to put all his outdoor clothes in their dryer because they know how much I’m struggling.”Families most affected by high inflation are those with the least. Most of their spending is on food and energy, which are increasing in price the quickest. As participant Ella wrote: “We don’t talk about the cost of living any more – now it’s the cost of survival.”Across our research, parents have called for social security that reflects the real cost of living, and changes to Universal Credit, such as ending the punishing five-week wait for a first payment and more support for families with children.Listening to familiesThe current Labour government has already demonstrated an interest in listening to people on the receiving end of policy. Its commitment to working with low-income families in developing the UK Child Poverty Strategy was a step in the right direction. Evidence was provided to the strategy by parents involved in Changing Realities, through online diaries, answers to questions on specific issues and discussions with policymakers. As they wrote in the strategy foreword: With some of the changes, families like ours may start to breathe again. Not just survive but live with dignity. We’d all like to feel secure knowing that if something breaks, or a bill goes up, we won’t be pushed into crisis. And while there is much more to be done to tackle child poverty, the removal of the two-child limit on benefits was a major policy change that will directly affect families’ incomes. Government estimates suggest that 450,000 fewer children will be in relative low income after housing costs by the final year of this parliament as a result. Read more: The two-child limit failed – all it did was increase poverty The question now is whether the government will apply the same ambition to understanding what families need next. Commitments and targets on child poverty need to remain a priority, and families should be treated as an authority on whether those commitments are making a difference.Burnham’s government is developing its response to a rapidly changing economic and geopolitical situation. Devolution adds a layer of complication, with devolved nations adopting different approaches to the cost of living and child poverty. There is an opportunity here to make families’ experiences part of how policy is understood and assessed.People with experience of poverty and social security understand the barriers families face and have valuable ideas about what needs to change. If Burnham wants his government to give families “breathing space”, the first step is listening to what is making it harder for them to breathe.Uisce Jordan works on the Changing Realities at the University of Glasgow.This project has been funded by the Nuffield Foundation’s UK impacts of the US-Iran conflict fund, but the views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily the Foundation.